Malik Willis is the belle of the ball this spring in NFL free agency.
The former first-round pick for the Tennessee Titans rejuvenated his career over the past two years in Green Bay and is hitting the market at the perfect time. In Weeks 16 and 17, playing in place of Packers starter Jordan Love, Willis completed more than 80 percent of his passes and didn’t throw an interception in losses to Chicago and Baltimore.
Due in part to a dry free agent class at quarterback, Willis is now projected to make more than $20 million annually on his next contract. Teams will likely hope they can help Willis continue his upward trajectory and turn him into the next Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield, players who broke out after churning through a handful of teams early on.
But in a segment on The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms blew those meager expectations out of the water.
“I think Malik Willis is a superstar,” Simms said. “I would think he is the crowning gem of guys that’s going to be out there as far as free agents you can get.”
“Malik Willis has proven he’s got special talent. He’s got a special arm, special mobility. He knows how to run the offense and do all of that. So yeah, he’s a great story here.”
“I think Malik Willis is a superstar.”
– @CSimmsQB gives his thoughts on the impending free agent QB. pic.twitter.com/DMCDwqD1JL
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 12, 2026
Not only did Simms claim Willis is a “superstar,” but he also argued the former Green Bay backup has more potential than the guy he played behind the past two seasons.
“It’s closer than I ever thought it would be,” Simms said of Willis’ comparison to starter Jordan Love.
“And I’m really a Jordan Love fan … but Malik Willis, I’m not going to say he’s better than Jordan Love right now. I will say he shows more potential to be a greater player than Jordan Love. That’s what I would say right now, but I’ve got to see a little more before I say he’s better than Jordan Love.”
Simms is never one to shy away from a hot take, even in the most high-profile NFL conversations. But he is going out on quite a limb here.
Willis has played in just 22 games in his NFL career. At age 26, he is not exactly young, even if he is around the age at which Mayfield and Darnold finally settled in.
There may be plenty of things to love about Willis’ game tape from Green Bay, but you don’t hear anyone else claiming he is already a superstar.